The Arizona State women’s soccer team (5-3) opens Pac-12 play on Sunday (4 p.m. PT) when it hosts USC (5-3-1) at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.

Sunday’s game is the second of back-to-back, one-game weekends for the Sun Devils, who are coming off a 2-0 setback to Boise State last Friday. After Sunday’s game vs. USC, the Sun Devils will not play another game at home until Oct. 25 as they will play their next five games on the road. Included in that five-game stretch are assignments at current No. 11 Cal (Oct. 4), No. 2 Stanford (Oct. 6) and No. 4 UCLA (Oct. 18).

COVERAGE

Pac-12 Networks will be televising Sunday’s game to a national audience. Christian Miles (play by play) and Kyndra de St. Aubin (analyst) will call the game.

NOTES FROM LAST WEEK

The Sun Devils had their six-game regular season home winning streak snapped following a 2-0 loss to Boise State… ASU lost despite an 18-12 advantage in shots... Cali Farquharson and Devin Marshall led the Sun Devils with five shots each... Boise State took the lead in the 79th minute and then added its second goal on a counter attack with two seconds remaining... Redshirt freshman defender Alyssa Martinez made her debut for the Sun Devils... Overall, ASU is 9-3-1 in its last 13 regular season games going back to 2012.

KEVIN BOYD APPROACHING CAREER WINS RECORD

Seventh-year head coach Kevin Boyd is approaching the Sun Devil soccer program’s record for career wins. Currently 59-55-14, Boyd needs two more wins to pass Ray Leone, who recorded 60 wins as ASU’s head coach from 2001-06. Boyd is only the third head coach in the history of the program, which started in 1996.

SCOUTING USC

Southern California (5-3-1) scored four goals in each of its first three contests to start the season 3-0. All three of USC’s losses have been by a single goal with one loss coming in overtime and another in double overtime.

Sunday’s contest is a rematch of last year’s dramatic, back-and-forth game won by the Sun Devils, 5-4 in double overtime. Cali Farquharson had a career day against USC as she tied the single-game school record for goals (3) and set the single-game school record for points (8). The second of Farquharson’s two assists in the game set up teammate Tommi Goodman for the game-winner (Goodman’s first career goal) less than a minute into the second overtime. The Sun Devils won the game, which was named one of Pac-12 Networks’ ‘12 Best’ of 2012, without offensive standout Devin Marshall, who was sidelined by injury.

USC leads the all-time series 12-5. Three of ASU’s five wins against USC have come in the last five years. Eight of the last nine contests between the two teams have been decided by one goal. The home team has come out victorious in the last six meetings.

SETTING THE SCENE FOR 2013

ASU has made the NCAA Tournament three times out of the last four years, a feat that has only been accomplished one other time in program history. The Sun Devils, who were picked to finish fifth in the Pac-12 by the league’s coaches, will be looking to carry over the momentum they established at the end of last season (went 4-0-1 in last five regular season games to earn NCAA Tournament bid) and during the 2013 spring season (won all nine games).

SUN DEVIL SOCCER RETURNS PAC-12’S TOP SCORING DUO IN 2013

Senior Devin Marshall (0.56 goals per game/second in the Pac-12) and sophomore Cali Farquharson (0.50 goals per game/sixth in the Pac-12) entered 2013 as the Pac-12’s top returning duo in combined goals per game (1.06). They have continued to hold true to form this season as they have combined to average 1.74 goals per game (Farquharson 1.12 and Marshall 0.62), which still makes them the leading pair in the Pac-12.

Last season, the play of Marshall and Farquharson proved to be a significant factor in helping the Sun Devils make their third NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons. Together they contributed to ASU’s 1.51 goals-per-game average in 2012, which was its highest average since the 2005 season when it averaged 1.66.

DEVIN MARSHALL EARNS PAC-12 AND NATIONAL RECOGNITION

Earlier this month senior forward Devin Marshall was named both the Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week and the CS360 National Primetime Player of the Week after she helped lead the Sun Devils to a 4-3 double-overtime win over Illinois (Sept. 6) and a 4-0 win over Kansas (Sept. 8) in the annual Sun Devil Classic.

Marshall, who was named the Sun Devil Classic MVP, tallied four goals on the weekend, tying her single-game career-high with two in each game, and assisted on teammate Cali Farquharson’s game-winning goal in the 107th minute in the win over Illinois.

Arguably one of the most exciting players in the country to watch with her one-of-a-kind, go-after-it style, Marshall finished second on the team in both goals (nine – seventh in the Pac-12) and points (20 – t10th in the Pac-12) last season. However the most important statistic that illustrates Marshall’s effectiveness is goals per game where she had the Pac-12’s second-best mark (0.56) in 2012. Marshall, who was named second-team All-Pac-12 last season, did not play in five of ASU’s games last season and missed the majority of two others – including ASU’s NCAA Tournament game against Baylor – because of injury.

Marshall, who has scored five goals this season, currently ranks tied for 10th in the Pac-12 in goals per game (0.62).

With her four goals in the Sun Devil Classic, Marshall moved into eighth place on ASU’s all-time list with 21 career goals. She needs three more to pass Antoinette Marjanovic (1997, 99-01) for seventh place. Marshall is also in ninth place on ASU’s all-time points list with 52. She needs six more points to pass Karine Inoue (1997-2000) for eighth place.

FEAR THE FARQ

Combining with Marshall to give the Sun Devils one of the most dangerous one-two scoring combos in the country is sophomore forward Cali Farquharson. Farquharson, who earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honors last season, is currently first on the team and the Pac-12 and fourth in the nation in goals per game (9 - 1.12 gpg). She also leads the team, is second in the Pac-12 and is No. 10 in the nation in points per game (19 - 2.38 ppg).

A Valley native (Shadow Mountain HS/Phoenix, Ariz), Farquharson led ASU in goals (10) and points (24) in 2012. Her 10 goals tied for the seventh-highest single-season total by a Sun Devil while her 24 points were the 10th-highest single-season total in program history. Farquharson’s three goals against USC last season tied both the school record and the highest single-game total by a Pac-12 player in 2012. Her eight points (three goals, two assists) against USC also set a new single-game school record and were the most by any Pac-12 player in 2012.

Farquharson, who owns the school record for most consecutive games scoring a goal (8 - last three games in 2012 and first five games of 2013), was named to the Sun Devil Classic All-Tournament team following a weekend in which she produced three goals and one assist in ASU’s wins over Illinois (Sept. 6) and Kansas (Sept. 8). Farquharson scored two goals, including the game winner in the 107th minute of ASU’s 4-3, double-overtime win over Illinois on Sept. 6. One week later she was named to the Cats Classic All-Tournament Team after scoring two goals in ASU’s win over Southern Utah (Sept. 15). It marked the third time this season and fifth time in her career that she has scored multiples goals in a game.

Farquharson’s two goals vs. Southern Utah moved her into 10th place on ASU’s all-time list for career goals (19). She needs two goals to pass Karine Inoue (1997-2000) for ninth place.

CROOK ALWAYS GLAD TO ASSIST

One of the key facilitators in ASU’s offensive attack has been senior midfielder Holland Crook, who currently leads the Pac-12 and is ranked No. 16 in the nation in assists (6). Following ASU’s 4-0 win over Kansas (Sept. 8) in the Sun Devil Classic, ASU head coach Kevin Boyd noted that Crook’s play has been “crucial” in the team’s success.

“She’s playing really well,” said Boyd. “What Holland’s doing is sitting right under that front line and pressuring them, and getting us chances. Where she’s not getting recognized for – and should be – is she’s picking off a lot of balls defensively and doubling and winning balls, and getting us into the attack immediately, and we’re getting goals from it.”

Crook was named to the Cats Classic All-Tournament Team after scoring her first goal of 2013 and adding an assist in ASU’s 4-0 win over Southern Utah (Sept. 15).

TOUGH ROAD AHEAD

Following this weekend’s contest against USC, the Sun Devils will not play a game in Sun Devil Soccer Stadium until Oct. 25 when they host Washington. What awaits them until then? Three consecutive weeks on the road as the Sun Devils will travel to the Bay Area (at No. 11 Cal on Oct. 4 and at No. 2 Stanford on Oct. 6), Oregon (at Oregon on Oct. 11 and at Oregon State on Oct. 13) and Los Angeles (at No. 4 UCLA on Oct. 18).

On the flip side, the Sun Devils will close the 2013 regular season playing four of their last five games at home.

NOTES

• ASU’s 1.51 goals per-game average last season was its best mark since 2005, when it averaged 1.66. The Sun Devils are averaging 2.25 goals in the first eight games of 2013.

• Going back to 2012, ASU has won 13 of the 14 contests in which it has scored first. The only game it did not win when it scored first was at Oregon State (Oct. 19, 2012), a game which ended in a 1-1 tie.

• Senior defender Jasmine Roth has started 65/67 career games, including all 21 last season.

• Redshirt sophomore Chandler Morris’ five shutouts last season tied her for sixth place in team annals for most shutouts in a single season. Most recently, she added her seventh career shutout in ASU’s 4-0 win over Kansas (Sept. 7).

• In 2012 ASU was 6-2 in one-goal games and 2-0-2 in overtime games. They are 1-1 in both categories in 2013, defeating Illinois 4-3 in double-overtime (Sept. 6) and falling to No. 24 Texas Tech 1-0 in overtime (Sept. 13).

KEVIN BOYD ESTABLISHING WINNING TRADITION FOR SUN DEVIL SOCCER

The 2013 Sun Devils are aiming for their fourth NCAA appearance in five seasons, something that would be a first for the program.

The soccer program’s recent run of success has come under the tutelage of Kevin Boyd, who is in his seventh season as ASU’s soccer coach. Boyd came to ASU after leading Cal to eight NCAA Tournament appearances in 10 years. His last recruiting class at Cal included a name soccer fans from all walks of life are familiar with – Alex Morgan.

At ASU, Boyd has already planted the seeds to establish a winning tradition. In his previous six seasons at ASU, Boyd has led the Sun Devils to as many NCAA appearances (3) as the program had in the 11 seasons prior to his arrival.

Last season Boyd led a relatively young Sun Devil squad to a tie for fourth place in the Pac-12, ASU’s highest finish in league play since the 2004 season.

Currently with 59 wins as ASU’s head coach, Boyd needs two more wins to become Sun Devil Soccer’s all-time leader in career wins – (Ray Leone - 60 wins - 2001-06).

SUN DEVIL SOCCER TO APPEAR ON PAC-12 NETWORKS SIX TIMES IN 2013

Six Arizona State University women’s soccer games will be among 58 women’s soccer matchups televised live by Pac-12 Networks in 2013.

The Sun Devils will make their 2013 Pac-12 Networks debut on Fri., Sept. 20 (4:30 p.m. PT), when they host Boise State in the first of four consecutive televised games. The following weekend (Sun., Sept. 29 at 4 p.m.) ASU will open conference play on Pac-12 Networks when it hosts USC. The game against the Trojans will be a rematch of last year’s contest in Tempe, won by the Sun Devils 5-4 in double overtime in a game in which then-freshman Cali Farquharson tied the single-game school record for goals (3) and set the single-game school record for points (8).

One week later Pac-12 Networks will be on hand for both of ASU’s contests in the Bay Area against Cal (Fri., Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. PT) and Stanford (Sun., Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. PT).

The Sun Devils will be featured on Pac-12 Networks the last two weekends of the regular season, starting with their final regular season home game against Utah (Sun., Nov. 3 at Noon MT) and concluding with ASU’s Territorial Cup Series contest at Arizona (Thurs., Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. MT).

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

On the academic side, the Sun Devils have earned 70 Pac-10/12 All-Academic awards in Boyd’s six seasons, including 19 first-team members and 10 second-team members. ASU’s 16 first-team commendations the last five seasons (2008-12) are the most of any school in the Pac-12 during that span. In addition, soccer student-athletes have combined for six Academic All-America awards since 2007.

In June 2012, Sun Devil Soccer was among three ASU teams recognized by the NCAA for recording an Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the top 10 percent nationally.

UP NEXT

The Sun Devils begin a five-game road trip when they travel to the Bay Area for contests at No. 11 Cal (Fri., Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. PT) and at No. 2 Stanford (Sun., Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. PT).